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What does it mean to collaboratively engage in ethical discussions, provide culturally safe care, or cultivate resilience as a student and future healthcare professional? These are just some of the questions that students in 15 of UBC’s health professional programs explore in an interprofessional program, coordinated by UBC Health and now delivered entirely online. Designed to prepare “team-ready” practitioners, interprofessional education (IPE) is founded on the idea that healthcare professionals working together in the spirit of collaboration and mutual support will improve quality of care.
Beginning with elective courses in 2001, UBC Health’s interprofessional education evolved into a mandatory curriculum integrated into most health programs by 2016. “Working together in a team-based environment is essential for effective, empathic healthcare, particularly in the age of pandemic and virtual healthcare delivery,” said Anne Martin-Matthews, Associate Vice-President, Health. “Our students need to be trained to work within existing and emerging models of team-based care and our Integrated Curriculum helps them build the collaborative competencies required to do just that.”
Our students need to be trained to work within existing and emerging models of team-based care, and our Integrated Curriculum helps them build the collaborative competencies required to do just that.
This year, UBC Health is delivering the Integrated Curriculum entirely online. Six virtual workshops cover the topics of professionalism, ethics, and collaborative decision-making, as well as the UBC 23 24 Indigenous Cultural Safety curriculum, which was developed by the Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Health. The topics of resilience and health informatics are delivered asynchronously to increase flexibility and reduce Zoom burnout. In all, facilitators will run 79 virtual sessions for the more than 2,000 health professional students participating in the program this fall, supported by self-directed online modules, materials, and a team of dedicated faculty and staff.
UBC Health partnered with UBC's Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) to adapt the program for online delivery. According to John Cheng, Educational Consultant for Learning Design at CTLT, accessibility and inclusion were focal points for the redesign. “We knew varying bandwidths and technology mishaps were to be expected. Our goal in addressing these challenges was to be sensitive and proactive about the student experience,” he said.
The Integrated Curriculum is a required component for students in health professional programs in audiology and speech-language pathology, clinical psychology, dentistry, dental hygiene, dietetics, genetic counselling, medicine, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and social work.
“With the online delivery, we have also been able to invite students from the UBCO human kinetics program to participate to our workshops this year,” said Caroline. “Moving forward, we are committed to working with UBCO to ensure their health professional students can participate.”
Evaluations for the first virtual workshop delivered in early September were overwhelmingly positive, she added. “The students were engaged and reported that the content and activities were valuable. They are excited to be embarking on their journey to becoming a health professional with students in other health disciplines, because they know they will be working together in the future.”
Learn more about UBC Health’s Integrated Curriculum.
UBC Health works under the auspices of the Office of the Vice-President, Health to enhance interdisciplinary health education, research, and systems by fostering collaboration across disciplines and faculties at both UBC campuses, as well as with institutions and government organizations around the province.
